In the past 25+ years of experience Azmina Poddar has experimented in many genres. She has donned the garb of an artist to a design entrepreneur, dabbled at film editing to UI/UX.
Azmina has also branded some organisations and packaged products like some premium wines and whiskeys. A storyteller at heart with numerous facilitation of design thinking workshops she’s climbed up walls to paint them and created designer sarees to drape models on the runway.
She has helped young kids on the Bombay streets to read and write. and also designed some fairs, exhibitions, museums and cities and oh yes, she is also a mother!
All of this acscertains that beyond her doing and being lies creativity.
As a person she loves laughing and talking and is curious and eager all the time.
Azmina also loves to travel a lot and has lived across the country. In her creative process she often stumbles upon ideas and methods, each time learning and arriving at the end product. She never knows what she is going to come up with.
As they say, the journey is equally enchanting as the destination.
How are you planning to celebrate Women’s Day this year?
I do not celebrate women’s day. We don’t celebrate men’s day then why us?
Would you say there is an under-representation of women in UI/UX design?
No.
What are some personality traits of women that make them better (or worse) UX designers?
Empathy is the key to good design. Women excel in empathy.
Who are some design leaders (male or female) you look up to?
I look up to Paula Scher, David Carson & Paul Rand, a bit old school but that’s where i began.
As a woman, what’s the greatest challenge you’ve had to face as a designer?
My gender was never a barrier in my entire design career. It was only when my bosses made me realise that I am a women leader it sunk in. I never see professional life from a women’s perspective, for me i value what each one brings to the table than their gender. You bring yourself to work and not your gender.
What, in your opinion, could we UI/UX designers do, as a relatively young and collaborative fraternity, to solve the problem of gender inequality?
My two cents to all young women out there is that bring your best to your work life and never mention your gender as your barrier. Soon you will be amongst equals with your peers. I think first we should make sure that we bring professionalism to work. As women designers/professionals we have to stop playing the victim card and stand as equal and play fair. I have seen women leader always supporting fellow women colleagues and I continue to do that. I have always seeked support of strong women leaders in my life and i wish to do the same with women who approach me.
Women on top should empower more and more women into design fraternity.
Your message to young women looking to make their careers in UI/UX?
Just go out there and begin your journey and see what fun it is to unravel your customer’s needs. Do as much design thinking as you can and be hungry for work.
